By Nicole Friedman, LSW
Have you ever experienced headaches, muscle tension, fatigue or even an upset stomach? You could be experiencing symptoms of stress. At any point in our lives we have gone through some type of stress. Stress could be caused by school, our families, or even our jobs. Stress can affect our behaviors as well as affect us both physically and emotionally. With these effects of stress there are many techniques that you could try to reduce stress and help you lead a happy and healthy life.
According to the Mayo Clinic (2015), those who are going through intense stress have reported physical symptoms such as stomach pain or nausea, sleep problems, and even chest pain. When under a great deal of stress our muscles could even tense up and cause severe pain making it difficult to carry out everyday tasks. Those who are going through several stressful situations not only will display issues physically, but could become anxious, depressed, and even irritable. Those undergoing stress might even result to eating too much or eating too little. They might also resort to using drugs and alcohol to cope with the struggles facing stress. However, when stress occurs there are a great deal of healthy activities to try in order to reduce the stress effectively.
Exercise is one of the main ways to reduce stress. Physical activity such as swimming, taking walks, aerobic classes, or even yoga about 30 minutes a day could decrease your stress level. Appropriate diet and proper relaxation can also assist you in lowering your stress level. Poor diet and not taking time to relax and do activities that you enjoy can increase stress, however, if you eat healthy, get plenty of sleep, and engage in activities such as reading, listening to music, or partaking in a hobby can really be beneficial. Building relationships and increasing social supports will also play a huge role in managing stress effectively. When we surround ourselves by those who we enjoy spending time with and who support us will display positive effects in our lives.
Even though there are numerous ways to decrease our stress levels, sometimes these tools are not enough. When stress begins to become over powering and we are having difficulty functioning and managing our lives additional supports and further assistance such as counseling might be needed. If you are having difficulty managing stress and require further support please contact JFS at (570) 344-1186 to set up an appointment.
